Correlation of lifting versus non-lifting and microscopic depth of invasion in early colorectal cancer

Background: The non-lifting sign is considered a contraindication to endoscopic resection. Our objective was to investigate whether lifting or nonlifting of a lesion is determined by the volume of normal submucosal tissue. Methods: We measured the thickness of the submucosa and examined the relation between submucosal invasion and lesion elevation induced by submucosal injection in 60 patients with colorectal cancer with evidence of submucosal invasion. Extent of tumor elevation was classified into two groups: A, lifting; B, non-lifting. Submucosal invasion was classified as sm1, sm2, or sm3. The distance between the carcinoma and the line of resection and that between the carcinoma and the muscularis propria were measured. Results: Of 31 sm1 lesions, 29 (93.5%) were group A. All 6 sm3 lesions were group B. All lesions in group A had a value for the distance between carcinoma and muscularis propria of more than 1000 mu m. Group B lesions with sm3 invasion had distances of only 105 to 750 mu m. Conclusion: Lesions classified as sm3 do not elevate in response to submucosal injection, and lesions that become elevated on injection can be resected endoscopically because they are sm1 or sm2 and have a thickness of normal submucosa of more than 1000 mu m.